DuPage libraries struggle to find candidates
The April 7 election will give DuPage County voters a chance to pick from hundreds of candidates for a variety of offices, but many voters will find their choices limited when it comes to choosing library board trustees.
A quick look at 15 library board races in DuPage shows a third don't have enough candidates to fill all the vacancies. That includes West Chicago, which will lose more than half its members - unless write-in candidates emerge - because no candidates stepped forward to run for the four open seats.
"It's not a lack of interest in public service," said outgoing West Chicago library trustee Marcia Rubenstein, "it's a lack of time to run for office."
That's the same message Winfield library board President Carol Tenyak-O'Connor is hearing from folks interested in serving on the board. Two incumbents are on the ballot for four seats there, but a third incumbent recently filed to run as a write-in.
"It's kind of intimidating, the idea of having to get out there to get on the ballot ," she said. "People interested in helping the library are not interested in the political scene."
The fact that most of these posts are unpaid positions might have something to do with a lack of interest as well. Seven other library races have just enough candidates to fill the open seats.
Library boards are seemingly in a Catch-22 when it comes to elections: if everyone is happy with the library nobody wants to run for office, board members explain. However, libraries embroiled in controversy usually have no shortage of candidates.
Carol Stream's library board race is an embarassment of riches compared to some of the neighboring communities. Originally, 10 people filed for five seats. However, one candidate was thrown off the ballot this week after her paperwork was challenged, so the race is down to nine competitors.
Mary Hudspeath is one of five incumbents hoping to retain her seat against four challengers in that race.
"I don't know anything about this group of individuals other than they don't seem to be library supporters," Hudspeath said. "Only two of them have attended one board meeting since last fall, so I'll be very interested to hear what they're platform will be."
At least one of the challengers, Michael Wade, has appeared before the Carol Stream village board to question the library's tax rate. While the library board is elected independently, the village stills controls the library's purse strings.
Addison and Lombard also have contested library races, but that's about it for any library election battles in DuPage.
Since the write-in registration deadline has passed, boards that don't have enough candidates to fill vacancies will make appointments. Those appointments are only good until the next board election. That means in two years all seven West Chicago library trustee seats will be up for grabs, three will be full four-year terms and four will be for two-year terms.
There's more to worry about than board vacancies in Winfield, though. Voters there are also being asked to support a $1.8 million tax-increase request to build an addition to the library to house an elevator to increase accessibility at the facility. Tenyak-O'Connor doesn't believe the apathy of residents over the board seats has any bearing on the fate of the expansion plan.
"We listened to what people said and didn't think we needed a whole new building," she said, "but people have historically said we need an elevator there."
DuPage Election Commission officials said it's not uncommon for some open seats to go uncontested at election time. In fact, it's not all that uncommon to have races where no one files to be a candidate, said the commission's Assistant Executive Director Doreen Nelson. There are five races in DuPage this cycle without candidates and there were five races without candidates two years ago, she said.
Help wanted
Many library boards don't have enough candidates to fill the open positions.
Bloomingdale
Seats: 4
Candidates: 3
Glenside (Glendale Heights)
Seats: 2
Candidates: 1
Lisle
Seats: 3
Candidates: 2
West Chicago
Seats: 4
Candidates: 0
Winfield
Seats: 4
Candidates: 2